Effective monitoring system for anthrax smallpox, or other pathogens

A microbial monitoring system for detecting microorganisms, comprising:

• an intake or receptacle through which a fluid or gas enters said microbial monitoring system or is added to said microbial monitoring system;
• a means for drawing or pushing said fluid or gas into said microbial monitoring system and through a conduit connectively communicating with said intake;
• a filtering means within said conduit through which said fluid or gas passes and retains microorganisms present in said fluid or gas;
• a medium reservoir for a growth medium on a side of said filtering means opposite from said intake or receptacle, wherein said growth medium passes through said filtering means and removes said microrganisms from said filtering means.

A microbial monitoring system for detecting microorganisms, comprising:

• an intake or receptacle through which a fluid or gas enters said microbial monitoring system or is added to said microbial monitoring system;
• a means for drawing or pushing said fluid or gas into said microbial monitoring system and through a conduit connectively communicating with said intake;
• a filtering means within said conduit through which said fluid or gas passes and retains microorganisms present in said fluid or gas;
• an exhaust chamber, wherein said filtering means is interposed between said intake and said exhaust chamber;
• a medium reservoir on a side of said filtering means opposite said retained microorganisms, comprising a microbial growth medium and a reservoir breakable seal;
• a plunger means, wherein pressure placed on said plunger means:
• (i) engages a hermetic seal between said medium reservoir said filtering means;
• (ii) breaks said reservoir breakable seal and forces growth medium through said filtering means in a direction opposite of flow of said fluid or gas;
• and
• (iii) backwashes said microorganisms from said filtering means and suspends said microorganisms in said growth medium;
• an incubation chamber for incubating and growing said microorganisms;
• a programmable temperature-regulating means for controlling the temperature of said incubation chamber;
• an incubation chamber breakable seal through which said growth medium passes into a test chamber for detecting said microorganisms;
• a timer for controlling intervals between assay measurements;
• a detection means within said test chamber;
• wherein
• said detection means determines the presence or absence of said microorganisms without killing said microorganisms or inhibiting said growing;
• and
• a transmission means;
• wherein
• said presence or absence of said microorganisms is reported via said transmission means to an assay analyzer.

A microbial monitoring system for detecting microorganisms, comprising:

• a network of microbial monitoring devices reporting to a remote assay analyzer, wherein each of said microbial monitoring devices comprises at least one disposable cartridges comprising:
• an intake or receptacle through which a fluid or gas enters said microbial monitoring system or a swab is deposited within said microbial monitoring system in a fluid;
• a means for drawing or pushing said fluid or gas into said microbial monitoring system and through a conduit connectively communicating with said intake or receptacle;
• a semipermeable membrane within said conduit through which said fluid or gas passes and which retains microorganisms present in said fluid or gas;
• an exhaust chamber, wherein said semipermeable membrane is interposed between said intake and said exhaust chamber;
• a medium reservoir containing microbial growth medium on the side of said semipermeable membrane opposite said retained microorganisms;
• a plunger means comprising a bladed or pointed edge for releasing said growth medium;
• wherein depressing said plunger means:
• (i) engages a hermetic seal between said medium reservoir said semipermeable membrane;
• (ii) forces growth medium through said semipermeable membrane in a direction opposite of flow of said fluid or gas;
• and
• (iii) backwashes said microorganisms from said semipermeable membrane and suspends said microorganisms in said growth medium;
• a breakable seal through which said growth medium passes into a test chamber for incubating and growing said microorganisms;
• a timer for determining intervals between immunoassay measurements;
• a temperature-regulating means that maintains said test chamber at a temperature that promotes growth of at least one target microorganism.
• an immunoassay test strip within said test chamber;
• wherein
• said immunoassay strip wicks said growth medium past a detection area on said detection strip, said detection area comprises an indicator assay region and a control assay region;
• and
• said immunoassay test strip determines the presence or absence of said at least one target microorganism;
• wherein
• said presence or absence of said at least one target microorganism is reported with location of said microbial monitoring device to said remote assay analyzer.